‘To punish and enslave’

On one of the worker’s cars parked inside Ferra Engineering at Tingalpa, a suburb of Brisbane, has the motto ‘to punish and enslave‘ printed on the side. That is precisely what the drones, bomb parts, wing kits, JDams and all the other paraphernalia of genocide made at Ferra has done to the people of Gaza over the past year. According to Norman Finkelstein every time and Israeli soldier is killed many times more Palestinians most often women and children are blown up in their houses. This is to punish.

Israeli bombing is now widespread throughout the region. With Gaza as the model, Israel has spread destruction and punishment throughout the region. Israel has been bombing Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria with impunity. It has stolen more land in the past year than it did since the six day war in June 1967.

At Ferra, another car registration plate boasted F 35, which is the fighter bomber doing most of the damage, with the help of Ferra Engineering.

Ferra’s partners in crime are Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Thales, and Parker Aerospace. All of these companies are in contempt of the International Court of Justice ruling not to assist in the genocide in Gaza.

People have been picketing at Ferra engineering for over a year now with the help of Justice for Palestine, Magandjin (Jacqui, Remah et al), the Gold Coast crew (Jess, Scout, Waddah and others) and Mums for Palestine (Megan et al). The Catholic Worker community has always been there as well, so too Anna and Jamal from ICRR along with Jono, Emma, Arunya and others. Here is a report from Andy Paine (Paradigm Shift 4 z z z Fridays at noon):

Once again the people of Brisbane have braved the early morning to picket Ferra Engineering who are sending parts to assist the slaughter of Palestinian and Lebanese lives. When I was recently down south I talked to people who have been doing the same at Bisalloy in Wollongong and Newpress in Newcastle. Plus we have seen similar actions in Melbourne against Zim and HTA. An amazing effort by people around this country who aren’t willing to watch helplessly and instead are finding the places close to home that are enabling the brutality.

Remah Naji (JFP and Green’s candidate for Moreton in the federal election) gave a speech about how her two-year-old will feel in years to come in the knowledge that he came out with his mum to the picket at Ferra Engineering prior to going to daycare. Remah herself had a big day on the campaign trail, highlighting the suffering of her people, the Palestinians. She will be talking to community groups all over Brisbane before she picks up her little boy from daycare.

At the picket, Lenny explained the connections between the various weapons companies and the Israeli war machine.

A big thank you to our photographer JPEG from Studio 9001 who has turned up at most of these pickets and rallies over the past year. Here are just some of his incredible images.

When I arrived home from the early morning picket, my partner told me that Israel had begun bombing Syria heavily (again), encouraged by the fall of Assad’s long-lasting government in Syria. No doubt Israel will take more of the Golan Heights. As if the suffering of the Syrian people over the past 50 years has not been enough. Israel means to enslave the entire region. Israel has destroyed Gaza, annexed the West Bank, invaded Lebanon up to the Litani River, taken more of the Golan and is hoping to expand up to Damascus. No doubt, inadvertently, that sign on the car parked inside Ferra has hit the nail on the head: Israel means to enslave the entire region.

Thanks to everyone who have braved the early mornings on the picket line in 2024. People have been very generous, they have looked out for each other and even when state repression through the courts came down on them, they have stood firm.

At the end of the picket, the Queensland police sergeant-in-charge came over to one of the organisers, telling her to check out this:

This makes me wonder about the mentality of people being employed by Ferra Engineering. None of them are union members. They seem to have no class consciousness, and it seems they have no concept of solidarity with oppressed people in countries like Palestine. Farah Engineering is in a residential area but it is also in an area where other manufacturing is taking place. For example, behind Ferra Engineering is a trampoline factory. 

State and federal authorities are so cynical that they will give approval for factories back to back, one that destroys children’s playgrounds, schools, and ultimately their lives (Ferra) and the other one (Vuly Play) that provides trampolines for the young to play on and make children happy. So that is the capitalist system we live in.

Ferra, Ferra, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide.

Ian Curr
10 Dec 2024